A Closed Loop Process for the End-of-Life Electric Vehicle Li-Ion Batteries

Abstract

The Lithium ion (Li-ion) battery industry has been growing exponentially since its initial inception in the late twentieth century. As battery materials evolve, the applications for Li-ion batteries have become even more diverse. To date, the main source of Li-ion battery use varies from consumer portable electronics to electric/hybrid electric vehicles. In order for Li-ion batteries to be used in electric vehicles, recycling is one of the major issues. In this talk, I will discuss our efforts on lithium ion batteries in the past few years. In this project, a new technology has been developed which is capable of recovering LiNixMnyCozO2 cathode material from a hydrometallurgical process making the recycling system as a whole more economically viable. By implementing a flexible recycling system that is closed-loop, recycling of Li-ion batteries will become more prevalent saving millions of pounds of batteries from entering the waste stream each year.